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Rare 3rd Candidate for ALA President

It happens infrequently, but it has happened before. Occassionally a third candidate enters the race for ALA President. Occassionally, that third canididate has also won. This year Maurice (Mitch) Freedman is running, in addition to Ken Haycock and William Sannwald. ALA put out a press release announcing Mitch\'s candidacy. The text of his campaign flyer is inside, if you want to read further.Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman for ALA President

Why Im running for ALA President:

I want to be ALA President because librarianship is not simply a profession to me. Keeping Americas libraries free, open, uncensored and well funded is my passion. My career has been on the front lines of Librarianship.

I know how to organize people and resources, to lead in tough situations, and to achieve results.

If elected, I will:

Fight restrictions on access to information in all formats

Advocate for increased status, salaries and visibility of all librarians and library workers

Develop programs & policies that help us put a human face on cyberspace

Lobby for fair use regardless of format

Help ensure that our libraries bridge the digital divide

Combat the privatization of public information and libraries

Promote programs to increase the diversity of library staff and library users

care deeply about libraries and my entire career demonstrates the depth of my commitment in all of the settings in which I have worked.

have a strong commitment to the mission of libraries as a public good and as an essential means to inform society and maintain our democracy

can understand and articulate issues, and know how to work creatively toward solutions.

have developed consensus building skillsas head of a cooperative systemthat are especially valuable for dealing with the needs of competing units and perspectives in ALA

know how to use technology as a means to better serve the user, and have been recognized for this, e.g. as a recipient of the LITA Award for Achievement
have been a staunch defender of intellectual freedom

was the only librarian who participated and testified in the ACLU/ALA lawsuit to overthrow New York States harmful to minors Internet law

received the ACLU/Westchester Award in large part for the role I played.

successfully automated cataloging at the Hennepin County Library by creating an authority controlled book catalog that was state-of-the-art in photocomposition, computer filing, usability by the public, and that employed bias-free and contemporary terminology.

as Executive Assistant, was part of the management team at LC\'s Processing Department for two massive projects, the National Program for Acquisition and Cataloging (NPAC), and the Mansell National Union Catalog of Pre-1956 Imprints. It was great training for future challenges.

Selected ALA & Other Assignments (too numerous to list all):

Elected to the ALA Council for five terms

President of LITA

ALA Pay Equity Committee, Chair

ALA Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship, Member

ALCTS Planning Committee, Member

PLA Committee on Cataloging Needs of Public Libraries, Chair

SRRT Action Council

Chair of the intellectual freedom committees in Minnesota and New York

Experience

Director, Westchester Library System, 1982-

Associate Professor, School of Library Service, Columbia University

Coordinator of Technical Services: The New York Public Library Branch Libraries